A software developer has created a unique website that allows readers to experience what it is like to have dyslexia. With a simple script, he’s done it. His website presents simple text explanations about dyslexia, but the text appears the way it might to someone who is dyslexic.
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“Some see dyslexia as distinct from reading difficulties resulting from other causes, such as a non-neurological deficiency with vision or hearing, or poor or inadequate reading instruction”. By that definition, Widell’s simulation isn’t representative of what reading is like for every person with dyslexia, but it still provides interesting insight into the condition.
A friend who has dyslexia described to me how she experiences reading. People with it struggle with spelling, reading quickly, writing words, and pronunciation when reading aloud.
He created a code to reflect this, which you can try here.
One dyslexic commenter wrote: “I pushed myself and now can read most small words long words and silent letters will always be an obstacle”. “Researchers at MIT found that people with dyslexia exhibited impaired voice-recognition abilities”.
“I have dyslexia and although this is accurate, this is a more extreme case!”
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“Although it is considered to be a receptive language-based learning disability in the research literature, dyslexia also affects one’s expressive language skills”. The long list includes scientists like Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, Pierre Curie; actors like Tom Cruise, Jenifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom and many other notable personalities.
